Comoros crash miracle survivor flown home

The sole survivor of the Comoros air crash has been flown home to France and is being treated in hospital. Even though Bahia Bakari can barely swim, she clung on to floating debris for the entire day before rescuers spotted her.

It was a painful homecoming. Although the 12 year old was reunited with her father before being taken to hospital, her mother did not make it out alive from the stricken jet.

The Yemenia Airways Airbus plunged into the Indian Ocean while trying to land in bad weather.
The lack of flotsam has led local rescuers to suspect many of the 152 remaining passengers and crew remain trapped in the body of the Airbus.

There is a feeling among the search teams that efforts should now be concentrated on finding the wreck of the plane.

The President of the Comoros, Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, went to the makeshift rescue centre at Mitsamiouli on the coast. Dozens of Red Crescent tents have sprung up on the shoreline. About 100 American, Yemeni, French and Comoran military have gathered to help in the rescue effort.

French Air Accident investigators are also sending a team, along with expert engineers from Airbus.

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tags: France